The ITF has announced the venues for the 2013 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and World Group II ties, pills and Zone Group events.

For the third consecutive year the Olympic Stadium in Moscow will stage Russia’s World Group Fed Cup first round tie, anesthetist which in 2013 will be against Japan. The Asian nation, denture who are back in the World Group for the first time since 2007, are bidding to become the first nation to defeat the Russians in the opening round since 2006. Three-time champion Italy take on USA on indoor clay in the 105 Stadium in Rimini, which is hosting a Fed Cup tie for the first time, while Serbia return to the hard courts of Hala Cair in Nis for their meeting against the newly-promoted Slovak Republic.

Sweden’s Fed Cup team will travel to Parque Roca in Buenos Aires for their World Group II first round tie against Argentina; Switzerland will host Belgium at the Sporthalle Wankdorf in Bern, and France will meet Germany at the Palais des Sports Beaublanc in Limoges. All World Group and World Group II first round ties will take place on 9-10 February.

Europe/Africa Zone Group I will be hosted by the Israel Tennis Association in Eilat on outdoor hard courts for the third successive year. The National Tennis Centre in Astana will stage Asia/Oceania Zone Groups I and II and Americas Zone Group I will take place at the Country Club de Ejecutivos in Medellin. These four events will be played during the week commencing 4 February.

World Group first round (9-10 February)

Czech Republic v Australia
Extension granted until 15 October

Italy v USA
105 Stadium, Rimini, Italy  (clay, indoors)

Russia v Japan
Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia (hard, indoors)

Serbia v Slovak Republic
Hala Cair, Nis, Serbia  (hard, indoors)

World Group II first round (9-10 February)

Switzerland v Belgium
Sporthalle Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland (hard, indoors)

Argentina v Sweden
Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay, outdoors)

Spain v Ukraine
Extension granted until 26 October

France v Germany
Palais des Sports Beaublanc, Limoges, France (clay, indoors)

Zone Group events w/c 4 February

Americas Zone Group I
Country Club de Ejecutivos, Medellin, Colombia (clay, outdoors)

Asia/Oceania Zone Groups I & II
National Tennis Ctr., Astana, Kazakhstan (hard, indoors)

Europe/Africa Zone Group I
Municipal Tennis Club, Eilat, Israel (hard, outdoors)

w/c 15 April

Europe/Africa Zone Group II
Bellevue Club, Ulcjni, Montenegro (clay, outdoors)

w/c 6 May

Europe/Africa Zone Group III
Terraten Club, Chisinau, Moldova (clay, outdoors)

w/c 15 July

Americas Zone Group II
Maya Country Club in Santa Tecla, El Salvador (clay, outdoors)

Raptor Consumer Partners (RCP), sale a leading consumer-focused growth equity firm, today announced that it has partnered with leading global obstacle racing series Spartan Race, Inc..

John Burns, Managing Director at Raptor Consumer Partners, will join Spartan Race’s Board of Directors. In connection with RCP’s investment, Spartan Race will also work closely with Raptor Accelerator and Raptor Sports Properties, gaining access to their strong relationships and deep expertise in the sports industry. The terms of RCP’s investment were not disclosed.

RCP’s investment in Spartan Race is the firm’s third investment in a rapidly expanding Boston-area market for growth stage companies. In 2012, RCP invested in a next generation food company, Unreal Brands (“Unreal”), and women’s apparel brand Nic + Zoe.

“The sport of obstacle racing is experiencing unprecedented growth and we are thrilled to partner with Spartan Race, a leader in this dynamic market,” said Burns. “We look forward to working closely with Joe Desena, Spartan Race’s founder, to expand Spartan Race and to establish a corporate headquarters in the Boston metropolitan area. Spartan Race is our third investment in the Boston market and we are proud to support them in their mission to build the sport of obstacle racing.”

Founded in 2010, Spartan Race offers obstacle races for athletes seeking to break free from traditional physical activities and participate in grittier alternatives to triathlons and marathons. The series has become a lifestyle for hundreds of thousands of participants, with the average participant losing eight to twelve pounds after signing up for a Spartan Race. The organization expects to register three times more racers in 2012 than in the previous year, with 36 events scheduled in 2012 in the U.S., Canada and the UK. Spartan Race is also continuing to expand on its strong foundation in the Northeast and build its presence in the Boston area. Spartan Race intends to open a corporate headquarters in Boston this fall, and on the weekend of November 17^th will hold the first-ever obstacle race time trial at Fenway Park, in celebration of the stadium’s centennial.

Desena said, “Raptor Consumer Partners and its Raptor affiliates will play an important role in developing our brand and giving us the ability to offer more races for more people looking to climb, crawl, jump and get dirty. Their support has been crucial in helping us extend our global reach, and I am pleased to report that we already have eight new countries lined up to host races. We are also very excited to bring Spartan Race to the Boston community and to celebrate Fenway’s 100^th anniversary with the inaugural obstacle race in the celebrated home of the Boston Red Sox.”

Jim Pallotta, Chairman and Managing Director of Raptor Capital Management, said, “At Raptor, we always look to propel our investments by leveraging the extensive network and expertise of Raptor Consumer Partners, Raptor Accelerator and Raptor Sports Properties, and we believe tremendous opportunities lie ahead for Spartan Race. I am excited to partner with Spartan Race to bring such high-energy, top-rate sporting events to the Boston community.”

Xie Yalong, story the former head of China’s scandal-plagued football league and other top soccer officials went on trial today as an effort to stamp out rampant corruption in the Chinese game reached a climax. 

The former chief of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), erectile stood trial in the north-eastern city of Dandong today, case , accused of taking bribes, becoming the highest-ranking former soccer official to face justice.

His successor as China’s soccer boss, Nan Yong, was to face trial a day later in a court in the city of Tieling, also for accepting bribes. Both cities  are in Liaoning province.

Dozens of league and club officials and referees have been ensnared for  their parts in a match-fixing and gambling scandal exposed two years ago which  has rocked Chinese soccer by lifting the lid on deep-rooted corruption.

The exposure of widespread betting on games, match-fixing, and crooked  referees combined with poor performances by China’s national squad to make  football a laughing stock among increasingly indifferent Chinese fans.

Xinhua said the court in Dandong also began the trials of Wei Shaohui,  former manager of the Chinese national soccer team, and Li Dongsheng, former  head of the CFA’s referee committee.

Meanwhile, the court in Tieling will also try four former Chinese  internationals — Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin and Li Ming — on Wednesday, the  news agency added.

A staffer at the court in Dandong who declined to be identified confirmed  Xie’s trial started Tuesday but said he did not know when a verdict would be  delivered.

A court in February sentenced two top former CFA officials to more than a  decade in jail each.

The CFA’s ex-deputy chief Yang Yimin was convicted of accepting bribes  worth 1.25 million yuan ($200,000) from about 20 clubs to fix fitness test  results and sentenced to 10 and a half years, state media said.

Zhang Jianqiang, the former director of the association’s referee committee, received a 12-year jail term for taking bribes worth a total of 2.73  million yuan on 24 occasions, reports said.

Wie der Tagesspiegel berichtet, doctor will sich Berlin nun doch nicht um den Auftakt der Tour de France bewerben. „Wir werden davon Abstand nehmen“, sagte Staatssekretär Andreas Statzkowski (CDU) am Freitag dem Tagesspiegel. Statzkowski ist in der Senatsinnenverwaltung für Sport zuständig. Schuld an der Entscheidung seien vor allem die hohen Kosten von rund zehn Millionen Euro, die das Gesamtpaket der Tour de France wohl kosten würde. Die Summe hatte der Senat errechnet. „Verdammt viel Geld“, welches man zusätzlich hätte aufbringen müssen, sagte Statzkowski. Die Kassen der verschuldeten Hauptstadt sind bekanntlich leer.

Bestärkt wurde der Senat in der Absage auch durch die vielen Dopingskandale, die das Radrennen seit Jahren begleiten. Deswegen wollen die öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehsender ab diesem Jahr die Tour nicht mehr live übertragen. „Was hilft uns das Rennen in der Stadt, wenn ARD und ZDF nicht darüber berichten“, sagte Statzkowski. Ohne Fernsehen bekommt die Welt allerdings kaum etwas von der Tour in Berlin mit, was wiederum für Stadt und Tourismus nicht förderlich seien dürfte.

„Die Tour nach 30 Jahren noch mal in Berlin, das wäre toll gewesen“, sagte Günter Polauke, Präsident des Berliner Radsport-Verbands. Dennoch habe man Verständnis und stehe zur Absage. In der Tourismusbranche bedauert man die Absage. Viele gehen aber davon aus, mit anderen Veranstaltungen auch weiter zahlreiche Gäste nach Berlin zu locken.

The NFL’s annual game in London considered to be in jeopardy after ticket sales for this year’s game were suspended will go on sale on Monday at 2pm after the St. Louis Rams resolved an issue regarding the lease on their stadium.

“We’re going to play the London games,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday. “We hope it will be with the Rams and the New England Patriots next year. That’s what we planned. … But there are issues that obviously are going to have to get resolved. We know there are discussions going on. We hope that will get resolved shortly.”

The Rams are to host the Patriots Oct. 28 Wembley and have agreed to give up a home game in each of the next three seasons to play in London.

However, that apparently clashes with the team’s lease on the Edward Jones Dome, where the Rams play their regular home games.

The Volvo Ocean Race using IMG Media its host broadcaster and global media distributor publicised  the first group of broadcast partners for the 2011-12 edition of the race with 57 broadcasters covering over 50 countries.

The list includes several broadcasters in host ports such as Television New Zealand (TVNZ), ed SuperSport (South Africa), TG4 (Ireland), Fox Sports Net (United States), Abu Dhabi Media (UAE) and three broadcast partners in Brazil: Bandsports, ESPN do Brasil and GloboSat. Teledeporte (TDP), owned by Spanish national broadcaster TVE, will provide extensive coverage throughout the race including live national coverage of the race start and opening In-Port Race in Alicante, Spain.

Other broadcast partners include Channel Ten (Australia), ORF (Austria), Rogers Sports Net (Canada), Hi Fidelity (Canada), Guangdong TV (China), Nova Sport (Czech Republic), Sky Pacific (Fiji/Pacific Islands), NOVA Sport (Greece/Cyprus), Neo Sports (India), Indovision (Indonesia), Sports Channel (Israel), Sky Italia (Italy), Fox Sports Latin America (Latin America excluding Brazil), Astro Super Sport (Malaysia), OSN (pan-Middle East), TV4 (Poland), Digi Sport (Romania/Hungary), StarHub (Singapore), SportKlub TV (Southeastern Europe), TV3 (Spain/Catalan) and Sky Sports (United Kingdom).

Among the current list of broadcasters, roughly 75 percent of them have agreed to take the live production of the In-Port Races and Leg Starts in the upcoming race, increasing the amount of Volvo Ocean Race programming from previous races.

Adam Binns, Director of Television, said: “We’re pleased to see the high level of television interest in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 and announce our first series of broadcaster deals. The Volvo Ocean Race makes for compelling viewing with its drama and personalities, people living life at the extreme for nine months, an experience that few sports can match.”

Adam Kelly, Senior Vice President and Marketing Director, IMG Media said: “We have seen really strong interest from broadcasters throughout the world and are confident of delivering a record breaking audience for this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.”

In 2011-12, the Volvo Ocean Race programming will feature nine, one-hour documentaries from each of the off-shore legs along with 13 half-hour shows that will package the highlights of the leg starts and In-Port Races. The content list also features a preview show, mid-race update and holiday special. In addition to world feed programming, many broadcasters are also adding substantial domestic coverage within their territories.

The Volvo Ocean Race television programming will also see a return to live HD coverage of the race: all nine Leg Starts will be available to broadcasters with 60 minutes of live HD coverage, while each of the 10 In-Port Races will feature in a 90-minute live show on select weekends every month from October through to July.

“For this 11th edition of the race, we believe we have a great mix of programming from live, to documentaries, to highlights capturing the local flavour of the stopovers and the epic nature of the event,” added Binns. “Complemented by our video diaries, news clips and webcasts the television programming will feature all the unique aspects of this race that make it such an unmissable event: heroes, cutting-edge technology, speed and human emotion. After a race of 39,000 miles it may all come down to a matter of inches in the Galway In-Port Race on July 7, 2012. Our job is the bring that drama to a global audience of millions.”

The opening In-Port Race in Alicante, Spain kicks off at 1400 local time (1200 GMT/UTC) on Saturday, October 29 with the Start of Leg 1 to Cape Town scheduled for 1400 local time (1300 GMT/UTC) on Saturday, November 5 the following week. Thereafter the In-Port Race will be the day preceding the Leg Start. Each month will feature one leg documentary and one In-Port Race/Start highlight show except next June, which will feature events in both Lisbon, Portugal and Lorient, France.

It has been confirmed that Major League Baseball (MLB) is to assume control of the Los Angeles Dodgers due to “deep concerns” about the financial predicament of the famous franchise, according to the league’s commissioner Bud Selig.

Selig revealed that a MLB representative would oversee the “day-to-day operations” at the troubled outfit, which has been plunged into financial turmoil by the complicated – and unresolved – divorce of its owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt.

The very public domestic disagreement between the couple began when Frank McCourt fired his wife, Jamie, from her role as the team’s chief executive. She the filed for divorce a week later, after 30 years of marriage in October 2009.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that Frank McCourt had arranged for a US$30m loan from Fox, the team’s television partner, to cover the Dodgers’ payroll requirements. Despite its recent problems, the franchise is one of the most successful in the history of baseball.

A statement from Selig read: “Pursuant to my authority as commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the club. I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball.”

Selig added that he would carry out a “thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr McCourt’s ownership”, adding that the representative to take control of the franchise would be announced in the coming days.

“The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future,” said Selig.

Scottish soccer club, Dundee FC have been hit with a 25-point penalty after entering administration for the second time in seven years. The punishment leaves the former European Cup semi-finalists adrift at the bottom of Scotland’s First Division with minus 11 points.

The club were also given a transfer embargo and told that their future would be reconsidered on 31 March if they were still in administration.

In a statement the Scottish Football League said it regretted the situation Dundee are in but added it had acted to protect the “integrity” of the league. “We are of the opinion that lessons are not being learned,” the statement said. “For example, clubs have to realise that, going forward, they cannot treat their [tax] obligations as something akin to a credit card.”

Dundee, who last month laid off their manager Gordon Chisholm and nine players, have debts of around £3.21m (US $5.1m), according to the administrator, Bryan Jackson, who described the punishment as “outrageous” and said he would appeal the decision.

National Hockey League (NHL) team Calgary Flames have signed signed a three-year deal with home-improvement retailer Rona, it has been announced.

The partnership will include the renovation of community youth facilities as well as including permanent, camera-visible, Rona branding at home team games.

Rona president and CEO Robert Dutton said: “We know that having opportunities for children to experience the pleasures of childhood sports and activities provide tremendous advantages in life.”

Flames president and CEO Ken King added: “Financial investment is important, but it’s secondary to having the right kind of partner, the kind of people that share the values that we have and the kind of people that want to do good in the community.”

There are also suggestions Rona could take up the naming rights of the Flame’s home stadium the Saddledome too, but King said: “That’s probably not in the cards immediately. But anything’s possible in the long-term future.”